Dog Attack Deaths

Published: 11/2022 | Updated: 2/2026

Can you die from a dog bite? Unfortunately, yes. In 2024 alone, there were around 113 humans killed by dogs. This is the highest number of dog attack deaths ever recorded in a single year. People can die due to intense bleeding from wounds, head injuries, and infections and other causes. Here’s what you need to know about deaths from dog bites.

1. How Many People Die From Dogs a Year Worldwide?

Although only a handful of people die from dog bites in the United States every year, the numbers are much higher in the rest of the world. According to 2025 data from the CDC, about 70,000 people die from rabies each year across the globe. Of those fatalities, 99% of them are caused by dogs.

2. Young Children Are Disproportionately Killed by Dog Attacks

Per data recorded between 2000 and 2015 by the National Canine Research Council, over 54% of deaths from dog attacks are children age 16 or under. Of those victims, 29.4% of children were between the ages of one and four. Both male and female victims are attacked and killed nearly equally. Experts speculate that this happens due to the small stature of children as well as their potential lack of caution when approaching dogs.

3. A Dog’s History Has Significant Influence on Its Propensity to Attack 

The Council identified seven factors that increased risk, including:

• No one was able to intervene at the time of the attack in 86.9% of cases
• Victims had no relationship to the dog in 83.7% of cases
• The dog was unneutered in 77.9% of cases
• Victims had a compromised ability to react appropriately to a dog in 68.7% of cases
• The dog had a history of isolation from positive human interactions in 70.4% of cases
• The dog’s owner had a history of mismanagement in 39.3% of cases
• The dog’s owner had a history of abuse or neglect in 20.6% of cases

More than 75% of deaths by dogs during the time of the study involved four or more of these critical criteria. Over 70% of deaths were caused by a “resident dog,” which is a dog kept on the property but not treated as a family dog. And 90% of dog attack deaths occurred after the dog’s current owner had owned the dog for more than 90 days.

This suggests that a dog’s social history and ownership has more to do with whether a dog will bite than its breed or any other factor.

4. Most Fatal Attacks Happen on the Dog Owner’s Property

The National Canine Research Council’s study indicates that 72.7% of deadly attacks occur on the dog’s owner’s property. In contrast, only 23.4% of attacks happened off the dog owner’s property.

5. The Majority of Dog Attack Deaths Are Caused by Only One Dog

Additional data from the Council’s study showed that in 56.7% of cases, only one dog was involved in the fatal attack. In 21.2% of cases there were two dogs, and three dogs in 5.8% of cases. Four or more dogs were involved in 10.9% of cases and the number of dogs involved was unknown in 5.4% of cases.

6. Intact Dogs Bite and Kill More Than Dogs Who Were Spayed or Neutered

The Council’s study further revealed that 76.6% of fatal dog attacks were caused by a dog that was not spayed or neutered and still had their reproductive organs intact. Only 8.2% of dogs that were known to be surgically altered were responsible for a deadly bite.

Get Legal Help After a Dog Attack Death from Mazow | McCullough, PC

If a loved one has been killed by a dog, you may be entitled to compensation related to wrongful death. Owner negligence often plays a big role in dog attack deaths, and you may be entitled to a settlement for medical bills, funeral expenses, and pain and suffering as well as other costs. Additionally, when you make a claim, you prevent that dog or the owner from hurting other people. To learn more, contact Mazow | McCullough, PC today.